The Art of Redemption
by Demented Fairy
Summary: Rufus is trying to repay his debt to the Planet and is about to get some unexpected help. Tifa is trying to find a purpose in life, but can't catch a break. As certain events ensue, they'll realize their worlds are about to collide.
1. Starlight

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy VII. It belongs to Squaresoft. I am just an adoring fan girl.

**The Art of Redemption**

**Chapter One:**

_**Starlight**_

He stood at the window, staring out into the world with a bitter anticipation. His steely, cold eyes reflected what once was and would never be again. The window he was looking through at the top floor of an abandoned office building gave him an excellent panoramic view of the late, great city of Midgar. Looking out amongst the ruins, his gaze stopped predictably on what once was the menacing centerpiece – Shinra headquarters. Courtesy of Diamond Weapon, the stoic monster was now reduced to a behemoth pile of steel, plaster, fiberglass, and failure.

He grimaced and looked away, as if the sight made him ill to his stomach. He had spent countless nights dreaming of that day. He was even dreaming of it now. He had seen the blasts way before Scarlet had come over the office intercom, warning him to get out and take cover. He had purposely chosen not to attempt such a futile effort. He had it imprinted in his mind that if the company went down, so would he. Just as a captain would go down with his ship. Long ago, when he first started with the company, his old man explained to him something very important. It was probably the only thing Rufus had taken seriously from his father.

"_Boy, you need to understand something. I would be nothing if it weren't for this company, which therefore implies, when you were born, you could have been nothing. But this company has made me something and it'll make you something, son. Do you understand? You're nothing without this company and me. And when you're nothing, there's really no point in living. You understand?"_

Those words had echoed in his head when he had seen the blasts and Rufus understood well. He wanted to die. He wanted the blasts to engulf and kill him. He knew after Meteor that he would be nothing.

And there he was, standing at a window, almost willing Diamond Weapon to rise and fire at him again. He was nothing at the moment and it made his skin crawl. Just the way Geostigma had made his skin crawl and bleed.

He smirked. What a cruel joke. He had survived the first wrath of the Planet only to suffer through the second wrath as nothing. He understood the Planet was punishing him and everyone else, but he had wondered for how long. He was cured now, thanks to the Ancient, but he still wondered what else was in store. His debt to the Planet was simply too great.

He looked back up and out the window again and this time he saw the lights. They were faster and brighter than before. He raised an arm to shield himself, preparing himself for the heat and blindness, but it never came. Instead, everything around him had gone black and he was falling. He wasn't afraid; instead, he was relaxed and felt at peace. He wanted to close his eyes and let the feeling take him over, but too soon the darkness gave way to a light and sunny warmth.

Shifting his body, he realized that he was laying face up in a patch of heavenly scented flowers. He could see the pale blue sky through a hole in the roof of the place that he had "landed" in. Sitting up slowly, he looked around and discovered that he had ended up in a dilapidated church. There were several pews scattered haphazardly around him and several heavy wooden beams had fallen from the ceiling. Before he could wonder exactly where he was at, a figure approached him.

She was dressed in pink and had long, auburn hair tied back in a braid. She also had shimmering, emerald eyes. It was she, the Ancient that had saved them all. As she approached him, he stood to brush himself off, but quickly, and shockingly, realized he was naked. Panicked, he looked back at her with widened eyes. She was looking straight into his eyes and nowhere else.

"You're uncomfortable, I know. But it's time to start anew. The Planet is still in a damaged state and believe it or not, it could use you."

He wanted to open his mouth and ask her many questions, but the words escaped him.

"I know your heart, Rufus. It's heavy with the fact that you owe the Planet a great deal. I want to help you."

His brow furrowed, trying to figure out why she'd want to do such a thing, but before much thought was given to it, Rufus awoke in his bed in a cold sweat. Breathing heavily, he rolled over towards his clock and found that it read 3:33 AM.

He wasn't sure how much of the dream he should take seriously, but he decided that tomorrow he would go to that church.

_Author's Note: So…it's been a while since I've written. I've had this floating around in my head for a while now. It was just a matter of finding the time to get it all down on paper and onto the computer. I'll warn you now; I have a nasty habit of not finishing a story. (Like most authors) But I feel different about this story. I already know where I want to go with it and how I want it to end. Most of the chapters are in my mind and as I stated before, it's a matter of getting it down on paper. I hope you'll stick with me and I'll try to update regularly. I respond really well to rave reviews. No, honestly, I love reviews that actually critique the story. I am looking to improve my writing so any constructive feedback would be great. :)_


	2. Of All the Gin Joints in All the World

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy VII. It belongs to Squaresoft. I am just an adoring fan girl.

**The Art of Redemption**

**Chapter Two:**

_Of All the Gin Joints in All the World_

Tifa entered the church that morning feeling particularly melancholy. Barret had arrived earlier that morning to take Marlene away for a couple of months and Tifa wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. She had grown so used to taking care of Marlene and always having her company. Denzel was growing up into a teenage boy and had taken to accompanying Cloud on his delivery routes for some male bonding. Of course, this predicament left Tifa by herself to tend to her bar and answer the phone.

She had arrived at the old church hoping it would lift her spirits with the quiet sacred surroundings and everlasting flowerbed. However, it only dampened her mood further, with the memories of Aeris and the times her and Marlene had visited. Tifa never thought she'd grow quite so fond of the girl, but in her absence, she realized just how much she missed her.

Taking a seat in one of the pews, Tifa huddled her knees to her chest and focused on not crying. Honestly, her life at that moment wasn't bad. It could be a lot worse, but it just wasn't as great as she wanted it or hoped it would be.

Living with Cloud and the two kids had almost been a dream come true. She knew it was the closest shot she would have at making it work with Cloud and being like a family, but it just didn't come together. Living together had made her see what she hadn't noticed before; Cloud would never be able to love her, even if he wanted to. No matter how much he improved or moved on from the past, there would always be a small part of him just too far-gone that would not allow him to show the same devotion and attention she showed him.

It was a depressing thought and mixed with the idea that she was destined to be alone, Tifa had to bite the inside of her cheek and blink her eyes several times to keep from crying. She wasn't here to cry; she wanted to be happy.

The sudden sound of footsteps caused Tifa to crane her neck so quick that if felt like she pulled a muscle. Standing at the entrance of the church was a tall, lean man; but the leanness was hard to discern from the three piece white suit and impressive white trench coat he was wearing. Tifa heard the humming of the helicopter in the distance and was annoyed that she hadn't heard it earlier to give her warning of her unexpected visitor.

She continued to stare at him as he approached her slowly, hesitantly, as if feeling guilty for disturbing her.

"Excuse me. I didn't realize anyone would be here," he spoke, his tone oddly sincere, at least to her ears.

Tifa didn't say anything, realizing that he didn't recognize her. But as he came closer, recognition dawned on his face. He seemed horrorstruck by her presence and Tifa suddenly became conscious of the fact that their last encounter involved him trying to end her life. His execution attempt had been nearly three years ago and Tifa rarely thought about it, but now, the wound felt fresh, no longer a scar of the past.

An awkward silence filled the church. Tifa noticed that the humming of the helicopter had disappeared. Tifa spoke the first thing that came to her mind.

"What are you doing here?"

Ideas raced through Rufus' mind. He couldn't possibly tell her the real reason why he was there. Of course, _she doesn't have to know the truth _he thought. There was no way she'd believe him anyway if he told her that he was having dreams about her dead friend and her sacred church.

"I'm just visiting," he replied.

Tifa's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Just on a whim," he replied coolly.

Tifa gave him a sharp look. "Last time Rufus Shinra went 'on a whim', I nearly lost my life."

Rufus froze. He knew it would come to this. He knew by the look on her face moments before that she had been thinking of that incident nearly three years ago. He started to speak, but turned his head when he heard Reno's voice.

"Hey boss, I decided to come inside. I saw a few fiends outside and I wanted to make sure there were none in here you couldn't handle," Reno said, as he made his way towards them with his usual swagger.

When he got beside Rufus and saw Tifa's face, he let out a low whistle. "I don't know about this little lady though. She could do a number on ya."

Tifa smirked. "Hey Reno. Rufus and I were just making small talk."

Rufus let out a derisive laugh. "More like receiving the third degree…" he muttered.

Reno looked between the two, knowing he just interrupted something major and tried to put two and two together. Then, it hit him. He looked back towards Rufus and raised his eyebrows. "Should I give you two a few minutes?"

Rufus glared at Reno. Tifa only smiled sweetly and replied, "Yes, Reno, that would be nice."

Reno, in a death-defying feat against Rufus' if-looks-could-kill glare, gave him a wink and patted him on the shoulder. "I'll be with the helicopter, boss. Give me a holler if you need anything." Then, he began heading towards the entrance of the church. When he got to the doorway, he turned and looked at Tifa. "I'll see you later for drinks, k?" Then he left.

Tifa waved Reno off and then returned her steely gaze towards Rufus. "Just because you've made nice with Cloud doesn't mean I forgive you."

Rufus shook his head and looked down at the ground. Tifa watched as his bangs fell to cover his eyes and he reflexively brushed them aside. He lifted his head and looked her dead in the eye. Tifa was startled to find they looked awfully similar to Cloud's, sans the eerie Mako glow.

"I owe you an apology. I'm sorry for trying to have you and your friend executed. It was unjustifiable and really…" He paused, unsure of what he should say next. "And really…it was just a shit thing to do." Rufus coughed. He'd nearly literally choked on the words that fell from his lips.

Undoubtedly, Tifa was at a loss for words. There was a great rushing of deafening silence that flooded her ears and she thought she felt the ground shift. Whoever originally stated that no one has ever seen him bleed or cry must have never seen him apologize either. She could definitely tell it was something he'd never done before.

Before the silence could drown her further, she spoke words she'd never thought she'd speak.

"Honestly, and I'm not sure how much I mean it right now, but I think I forgive you," Tifa replied. Surprisingly, she felt good saying it and didn't have nearly as tough a time with getting the words out as Rufus had with his apology. She had an odd feeling it had to do with being inside Aeris' church. Aeris always spoke highly of being forgiven and forgiving others…

Rufus visibly relaxed and Tifa thought she saw a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Was it possible that Aeris had the same affect on him as she did on her?

"Truce then?" Rufus asked, proffering his hand to her.

Tifa hesitated. She looked into his icy blue eyes once more, trying to catch a glimmer of deceit that may betray the sincerity of his apology, but found nothing to that extent. She accepted his offered hand. His grip was firm around hers yet amazingly warm and soft.

She grinned. "Truce."

Rufus smirked. He was definitely going to throttle Reno when he got back to the helicopter.

_Author's Note: I'd like to say thank you to the people that reviewed the first chapter. I appreciate it! Also, I would like to apologize for the delay on this chapter. I originally had it written and ready to go, but I decided I didn't like it and wanted to make it better. You know how it goes. :-P Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far. Don't forget to leave a review!_


	3. The Interview

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy VII. It belongs to Squaresoft. I am just an adoring fan girl.

**The Art of Redemption**

**Chapter Three:**

_The Interview_

It had been a slow night for Tifa at the bar and she was grateful to hear the scraping of chairs signaling to her that most of her patrons were finally heading home. As she began to wipe down the counter and prepare to close, two unexpected visitors walked in. One of them she almost did not recognize.

He wore a sleek black pant with a tucked in, midnight blue buttoned blouse and a black blazer. Of course, his signature smirk told her who he was.

"Rufus?"

"Hello to you too, Tifa." Rufus greeted as he and Reno took seats at the counter.

"Hey babe. I hope you can remember my name too," Reno said.

Tifa laughed. "Hey Reno. Sorry...I was just shocked." She turned to Rufus. "You look different."

"I can sometimes. Mind if I order a drink?"

Tifa couldn't help but be taken aback. She was subconsciously disappointed due to the lack of explanation for the absence of the notorious white suit.

"Sure. What will you have?"

"Glass of red wine."

Tifa cocked an eyebrow. Should she be surprised? "And what for you Reno?"

"A light beer."

Tifa's eyebrow reached new heights. "Since when?"

Reno chuckled. "Since always. I've got to watch the physique." He patted his lean stomach for emphasis.

Tifa laughed. Reno could be a riot. It was hard to imagine that they used to be enemies. She glanced at Rufus who happened to be looking at her at that exact moment. She turned away quickly to retrieve his glass of wine and Reno's beer.

She reappeared a moment later and set both drinks in front of their respective owners. Then she whisked away around the counter to start wiping down tables. She had only been cleaning a few minutes when a voice startled her from behind.

"What can you tell me about that church?"

Tifa nearly jumped out of her skin. She had been so absorbed in scrubbing tables that she completely forgot that people were still in her bar. She spun around immediately and was greeted with an equally startled Rufus.

"I'm sorry. That's becoming a bad habit."

Tifa shook her head. "What?"

"I didn't mean to scare you." Rufus explained.

Tifa shook her head again. "Oh no, don't worry about it. Why do you want to know about the church?"

Rufus didn't feel comfortable explaining that he had a dream about her dead comrade. He was sure it would lead to an awkward conversation and he had more than his fill of those for the day...especially with Tifa.

"Harmless curiosity," Rufus replied. He caught the dubious expression on Tifa's face. "I promise you wouldn't believe the true reason."

Tifa laughed nervously. "I don't doubt that. But harmless?"

Rufus frowned. He was counting on Tifa to be more helpful than this. Deja vu set in as he thought back to his last encounter with Cloud at Healin Inn. He wouldn't let the same outcome happen twice.

"I don't appreciate the doubts you have, but I do understand where they come from. Would you mind sitting down with me somewhere and letting me tell you the truth."

For the second time that day, Tifa was at a loss for words. She was becoming increasingly unnerved by Rufus' intent to befriend her and gain her trust. She accepted his proposition as an invitation to question his motives at a more convenient time and place.

"Certainly, but after I finish closing," she replied.

"Of course." And with those words, Rufus left her alone.

When Rufus took his seat back at the counter, Reno was ready and waiting for him with a knowing smirk. Before he found a way to head him off, Reno laid into him.

"Have you noticed the way that you interact with her?"

"No, but I have a feeling that you're more than willing to enlighten me," Rufus replied coolly. He took a deep sip of his wine and when he set the glass down, fixed a hard glare on Reno.

Reno frowned. "C'mon, don't do that. I'm serious. You and her..."

"Reno..." Rufus' voice was low and threatening.

"Just sayin'..."

Rufus cut him off. "Don't. Look, there's three things you need to understand. One, I'm not attracted to her. Two, it wouldn't work out anyway if I were. And three, just in case there's an alternate universe for the first two, there's still that other thing." Rufus gave him a sharp look, daring him to disagree.

Reno frowned. "I get the first two. But the last one...you can't keep using it as an excuse to not have a relationship. I'm not just talking about Tifa, but with anyone."

Rufus looked away, focusing on the glass of wine in front of him. He didn't like having this conversation. Reno knew this, but he always picked the most inopportune moments to dig it up. He didn't have any room to talk either, with his purely sexual, short-term relationships and the occasional one night stand.

"Dammit Reno...you're impossible," he muttered in frustrated defeat. After a second or two, Rufus looked back at him only to find Reno staring at him with a monstrous grin.

"I know. It's what makes me so endearing." Reno replied.

Rufus grimaced and took another large sip from his wine. "I'm going outside for some air. Don't follow."

The cool night air of Edge was a welcome relief to his nerves. He had felt so tense in there. Outside, he was able to relax and think more clearly. He wanted to go back to that church, but he needed to know more about it first. More than what a vague, dusty old file and a couple of Turks had been able to recount to him. It was disconcerting for him, the fact that he suddenly felt an odd, intimate connection to the church since his dream just a couple of nights ago. Although, he had to feel that it was better than having an odd, intimate connection with the Ancient. He would have found that far more disturbing; but he would have to understand the significance of her as well.

He wasn't alone with his thoughts for long before Tifa appeared outside beside him. She wore a thin sheen of sweat on her face and smelt very strongly of alcohol.

"Wow, it feels really good out here," she commented, fanning herself with one hand. She looked up at Rufus. "Sorry for taking a while. I tried to hurry."

Rufus couldn't help a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I can tell. But there was no need to rush."

Tifa shrugged. "Well, I did. I'm eager to hear why you've suddenly taken an interest in the church."

"Honestly, I'd like to know that too," he replied. Shockingly, and quite embarrassingly, he found himself enjoying the quizzical look upon Tifa's face. "Would you mind if we walked and talked?"

Tifa nodded. "Sure." She still held her earlier reservations about Rufus trying to gain her trust.

They walked for a few seconds in silence before Rufus spoke again. "Last night, I had a dream. It took place in the church." He purposely left out that the Ancient had been there too. He would speak to that later, if it was warranted.

Tifa looked at him, willing him with her eyes to elaborate. "And?"

"I had fallen there. I landed in some bed of flowers." He paused. He had forgotten about the bed of flowers. "It seemed weird that they were blooming there. I felt that they shouldn't be able to survive there, because everything else around me looked dead or ruined."

"You shouldn't have survived," Tifa replied simply.

Rufus stopped walking. Tifa stopped as well and looked him dead in the eye. "You're still alive, even though everything else is either dead or ruined around you."

Her words hit him like a ton of bricks. They made astonishing sense. He had never thought about the dream metaphorically. He suddenly felt very exposed, vulnerable even. He wanted to go back to the bar immediately.

"It stings, doesn't it?" she asked.

"Excuse me?" Rufus cocked his head slightly to the side, wondering where her question came from.

"To lose your entire company. To lose your command over the world and only be left with a few lousy Turks that stuck around to help you pick up the pieces. To have everyone think you're dead or powerless." She stopped, figuring she had poured enough salt into the wound. She didn't know where those words came from or why she felt compelled to say them out loud, but she figured it was something he needed to hear.

Rufus stared at her hard, the muscles around his jaw tightening. He tried not to let her leave him speechless, but her words were irrefutable. He had nothing to say to her because it was the truth and it did sting, no matter how much he didn't want to admit or even think about it.

"Don't look at me that way, I'm just trying to relate," Tifa said, not appreciating his silent glare. "I've lost family and friends. I've lost contact with most of AVALANCHE. I have nothing left to fight for, except for the friends and family I've lost and the members of AVALANCHE that I still care about. You and I are one in the same, as much as that startles both of us."

Rufus laughed, but it was completely void of mirth. It was hollow and forced. "Do you really think so?"

Tifa quirked her head to the side, thinking for a moment. "Honestly? No, but I'm trying damn hard to wrap my mind around it and I think you should too."

"Do you always make it a point to be this brutally honest with everyone? Or do you just find me very special?" Rufus deadpanned. So far, the words coming from her mouth kept rubbing him the wrong way and he was growing weary of it. This suddenly seemed like such a bad idea.

Tifa heaved a frustrated sigh. "Everyone. But I find you exceptionally deserving."

Rufus rolled his eyes. "I think I've enjoyed enough honesty and sharp wit for tonight. I'll head back to the bar now." He turned away from her and began his short trip back to the bar.

"And do you always runaway or shut out the people who try to tell you the truth? Especially when they may be trying to help you?" Tifa hollered at his retreating back. She watched him stop. She walked towards him quickly and stopped right in front of him.

"Look, don't ask why, but I would like to help you and whatever fascination you have with the church. I'll be there tomorrow and we can continue this then."

Rufus looked down at her, trying to think of an excuse not to forgive her and just head home, forgetting that any of this ever happened. To his dismay, he turned up fruitless.

"Take back what you said about the Turks being lousy," Rufus replied.

Tifa stared at him, baffled beyond words. "What?"

"Earlier, you stated, and I quote, 'a few lousy Turks that stuck around to help you pick up the pieces'. Now, I don't mind what you have to say about me, but the Turks...they're off limits." By the expression upon her face, Rufus could tell that she didn't understand how serious he was being. "AVALANCHE," he continued. "Your group, those people you said you cared about. Do you think they're lousy?"

Tifa suddenly felt very nervous under his piercing blue stare. The question was not out of rhetoric. He was expecting her to answer.

"No, never. Of course not," she replied hastily. "But I get your point and I take it back. I just didn't realize..."

Rufus sighed. "It's fine." He looked away, averting his gaze up towards the sky. Then he looked back down, quickly.

"I'm getting there by helicopter again. Would you just want to ride with us?"

Tifa, who had taken the opportunity to look away as well, looked back at him, startled by his offer. She had forgotten about what she said before. "Sure, why not?"

Rufus smirked. "Is 8:00 in the morning fine with you?"

Tifa returned the smirk. "More than fine. But only if you let me go back to the bar and get some sleep."

Rufus raised an eyebrow. "Let you? You were waiting on me?"

Tifa laughed. "No, but I doubt you would have let me just walk away."

Rufus suddenly felt his head swim in a dizzy motion with deja vu.

_"So you're just going to runway?" she asked._

_"I don't want to, but I doubt you would have let me just walk away." he replied. He had his back turned to her for a reason. He didn't want to see her cry. But he heard her cough and sniffle. It was pointless. He turned around..._

_"Corinne?"_

_She had walked away; out of the bedroom, out of the house, and out of his life. And he hadn't realized how much of him she had taken with her..._

"Are you okay?" Tifa asked.

Rufus shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the memory. "Yes, I'm fine," he replied. "Let's get back to the bar."

Tifa had her doubts, but decided to leave it at that. They walked quietly along the street, letting their thoughts and feelings of each other hang between them as an awkward silence. The events that had transpired in just the past day definitely altered the relationship they had before, or lack thereof. Before, there was very little they had in common and even less when it came to reasons for being civil towards each other.

When they arrived back outside the bar, Reno was waiting for them, leaning against the door with both hands in his pockets. He made a pointed look towards Rufus.

"Nice to have you back safe and sound," he chided, somewhat jokingly.

Rufus smirked. He lifted up the left side of his jacket to reveal a nice, shiny handgun.

Reno scoffed and feigned having his feelings hurt. "Oh wow, guess you don't need me anymore. Can I retire now?"

Tifa laughed, but was unsure if she really should. She looked over to Rufus and she caught a small smile on his face.

"Don't be like that," he replied, sticking both hands in his pockets and mirroring Reno by leaning against a nearby streetlight. Tifa kept watching him, almost intrigued by his mannerisms at that moment. She hadn't realized he could act so...normal. He suddenly turned his head towards her and she felt embarrassed for just staring at him.

"So 8:00?" he asked.

Tifa stared blankly at him for another moment before remembering the little rendezvous they had planned. She didn't know why she kept forgetting things from just a few moments earlier.

"Yeah, 8:00," she replied. She hesitated with her next words, hoping they wouldn't sound too awkward once they left her mouth. "Do I need to meet you somewhere...or will you pick me up...?"

"We'll pick you up," he replied.

Tifa missed the soft laugh Reno let out, but Rufus heard it and shot him a dangerous look. "Reno."

"Yes, boss?" Reno replied cheekily.

"Let's get out of here."

Tifa watched the odd exchange take place and also watched as the pair walked down the street to a nearby inn.

Once they got further down the street, out of Tifa's earshot, Reno nudged Rufus in the side. Rufus looked at him and was irritated to find a huge grin taking over Reno's face.

Rufus glared at him. "Not a word."


	4. Sweet Talk

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy VII. It belongs to Squaresoft. I am just an adoring fan girl.

**The Art of Redemption**

**Chapter Four:**

_Sweet Talk_

It was Tifa's second sleepless night that night. Rufus Shinra showing up at the church today was more than just coincidence. Had they shared the same dream from the night before? It sounded like it, from the little he had told her. She wished now that she hadn't interrupted him. Actually, after replaying the day's events over in her head, she wished she hadn't been so unpleasant towards him. In retrospect, most of her behavior, if not all of it, had been unwarranted. Especially considering he did not say or do anything to provoke her. The one reason she did have to treat him poorly, he had apologized for from the beginning.

Rolling over in bed, she groaned and buried her face into a pillow. Why was she defending Rufus against her rude behavior? Had she forgotten that he was the President of the company that her and her friends fought against because of its corruption and destruction towards the Planet? Had she forgotten that his company was responsible for most of, if not all, the loss she had suffered throughout her life? Her father. Her hometown. Her friends. _Her_ Cloud. Shinra was responsible for her losses in one way or another. So why did she feel like she wasn't allowed to hate him anymore?

She recovered her face from her pillow and rolled onto her back, eyes staring up into the darkness of her bedroom. The situation confused her to no end. She shut her eyes and tried to remember most of the dream, hoping it would give her clues.

She was taking a walk, idly gazing at the dirt and ruin around her. She held a sad smile on her face. They had helped save the Planet, but not enough of it. She looked up as a drop of water landed on her head and many more followed. It was raining. She looked around for cover and spotted the old church. She ran inside, but was startled to find someone already there, standing over the ethereal flower bed.

The man wore all black and kept his back towards her. He must not have heard her. She stepped quietly, hoping the dust on the hardwood floor would soften the sound of her boots. As she got closer, she realized in horror that he didn't just wear black, but that he was covered in black. He wore black, mostly by his trench coat. But what he left exposed - his hands, neck, and face - the skin was covered in black. Stepping even closer, she noticed that it was Geostigma. She started to back away, to run away from the sight, but the man suddenly turned. She froze, rooted to the spot.

His piercing blue eyes had grown duller since she last saw him. The blonde hair fell to cover them. He made a move to brush them aside, but stopped, as if he was almost too weak for the simple motion. Then he spoke.

"Tifa..."

She shook her head. She didn't want to speak to him. She wanted to run, but her feet felt like lead. He stepped closer to her.

"Please..."

She shook her head again. She tried to yell "No!" but it only came out as barely a whisper. Why couldn't she run? He reached out a hand toward her. She tried pleading with her eyes for him not to touch her. She watched as his hand landed on her shoulder and it suddenly turned to a pale white. She looked back at his face and it had changed too. A smile was playing at the corners of his mouth.

* * *

"Wake up!"

Tifa jolted awake to someone yelling at her and shaking her shoulder violently. She blinked several times and rubbed her eyes until a very familiar face swam into vision.

"Cloud?"

He sat down on the side of the bed as she sat herself up against the wall, still rubbing her eyes. "You were having a bad dream," he said.

She struggled to remember the dream but the details were slowly fading from her memory. "Was I?" she asked.

Cloud shrugged. "It sounded like it. But I came to wake you because you have...a visitor."

Tifa noticed Cloud sounded strange when he said the words "a visitor." He didn't sound thrilled to mention it. Then it hit her. She looked at her clock on the nightstand and saw that it read "8:07".

"Dammit..." she threw the sheets off of her and jumped out of bed, nearly causing Cloud to fall off the side. He regained his balance and called after her as she headed for the shower.

"It would be nice to know what's going on," he said.

Several minutes later, Tifa reemerged with soaking wet hair and a towel around her body. Cloud politely got up from the bed and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Leaning against the closed door, he spoke again.

"So what's the deal?"

There were a few seconds of silence before Tifa replied. "I really don't know. And if I did, I wouldn't feel comfortable telling you right now."

Cloud frowned. He was confused. When he and Denzel had arrived earlier that morning from their route, he wasn't expecting Rufus Shinra and Reno to be knocking on his door, hoping to come in and share a cup of coffee. Of course, that was the least of his worries. When Rufus finally asked him when Tifa would be down to join them, that's when he grew very concerned.

Finally, he heard the door nob move and he pushed himself away from the door. The door opened and he found Tifa dressed in her usual attire. Black on black on bottom with black on white on top. The only thing different was that she had tied her hair back into one big braid due to not having time to dry it.

"So it's not a date?" he asked, half-jokingly.

Tifa punched him playfully in the arm. "No! Of course not. Besides, who goes on dates this early in the morning dressed like this?"

Cloud half-smiled. "That's what I was thinking. But you won't tell me what's really going on?"

Tifa shook her head. "Not right now. It's...weird. I'm still figuring it out."

Cloud sighed. He was hoping for a better answer. "Well, when you do figure out, do you promise to tell me later?"

Tifa smiled reassuringly. "Of course. I'm not trying to hide anything from you." She gave Cloud a quick kiss on the cheek. "But I've really got to go. We were supposed to leave at eight..."

And Cloud watched her walk quickly down the hallway and down the stairs. He decided not to follow, but head to the shower instead. It had been a long trip...

* * *

When Tifa finally made it downstairs and into the front of the bar, she was quite surprised to find Rufus sitting at the counter, drinking a cup of coffee and skimming the day's newspaper. Once again, he had opted out of the white suit for mostly black attire, but trading out the midnight blue shirt with a white one. He looked oddly similar to the way Reno was dressed in his Turk uniform, who was actually sitting at a nearby table talking to Denzel.

She walked towards him as he looked up at her. "I thought 8:00 was fine for you," he said.

He didn't look up from his newspaper and she was glad for he missed the blush creep onto her cheeks out of embarrassment.

"I overslept. I was really tired last night."

Rufus looked up from his paper and looked at Tifa, who was now standing next to him at the counter. He smirked. "I didn't keep you out that late, did I?"

Tifa stared at him, wondering if he said that on purpose or if she was just taking it the wrong way. Before she could respond though, Denzel ran up to her. "Tifa!"

"Hey! How was your trip?" she asked, as she ruffled his hair. She was always stunned to see how tall he was getting.

"It was great! The bike Cloud and I put together ran really well. But Reno was just telling me about flying a helicopter. Do you think I could ride in one some day?"

Tifa smiled. "Sure, some day."

"Yes!" Denzel turned around and ran back to Reno. "Did you hear that? She said sure!"

Reno grinned and gave him a high five. "Awesome. Hey, let's go outside and check it out."

Denzel ran to the door and Reno followed behind him. He turned around before heading out the door. "We'll wait out here for ya, that cool boss?"

Rufus waved a hand to dismiss him and turned his attention back to Tifa.

"He is not riding in that helicopter," he stated.

Tifa laughed. "Who said it had to be your helicopter?"

Rufus smirked. He then changed the subject. "Forgot to tell Cloud I would show up."

Tifa smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that."

Rufus shook his head. "No need to be. I like to think we've somewhat settled our differences. However, I'm not sure he likes to think the same. But I think he was taken aback...especially when I mentioned I was here for you, and not him."

There was a strange silence that hung between them for several seconds. Tifa stared at him, basking in it, unable to come up with an appropriate response. She could hear the shower running upstairs and it seemed much louder than usual.

"Did you tell him anything?" he asked.

Tifa shook her head. "No. He asked, but I didn't tell him anything."

Rufus sighed. "Good. I forgot to mention last night...you're the only one I've told. I'd like to keep it that way."

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Not even Reno?"

Rufus looked away. "No. He thinks it's a wild hair. But he's used to those by now." He looked back up, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, but he didn't show it.

Tifa released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. His face had looked too much like the one in her dream. The dream she hadn't been able to remember moments ago, but suddenly came swimming back to her. She shivered involuntarily.

Rufus looked mildly concerned. "Are you feeling well?"

Tifa nodded her head fiercely. "Yes, I'm fine. Shall we go?"

Without any more questions or thoughts about Tifa's health, Rufus gracefully slid off the bar stool, brushing off one of his sleeves as he did so. "Let's go then."

* * *

When Reno saw Rufus and Tifa finally exit the bar, he looked to Denzel, who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat with a headset on.

"Hey, it looks like their ready to go. You'll have to get out. I already know the boss don't want any kid passengers."

Denzel frowned and removed the headset. "Maybe he'll lighten up one of these days. I haven't heard many good stories about him."

Reno smirked. "That's because there's not many. But maybe some other time."

Denzel looked skeptical. "Yeah, sure." He started to jump out of the aircraft, but looked back at Reno. "You're not bad though. Take care of Tifa for me, will ya?"

Reno laughed. "Sure thing." Then he watched Denzel jump out and run back towards the bar, waving to Tifa and Rufus as they passed.

Once they reached the helicopter, Rufus climbed into the aircraft gracefully. He turned around and noticed Tifa looking at him, confused. "How'd you do that?" she asked.

"Here," he replied. He extended a hand to her. She grabbed it with her right hand and placed her left foot up onto the platform. He then pulled her up and she stepped into the helicopter smoothly.

She smiled. "Thanks."

Rufus didn't respond. Instead, he slid past her through the small space and shut the door behind her. She could smell the scent of his cologne. It was light, subtle, not overly pervasive, but still stimulating. She decided it was time to take her seat. As she did so, Reno turned around and handed her a headset. "Here you go sweetheart."

Tifa quirked an eyebrow. "What's this for?"

"You'll see," Rufus responded as he sat down and adjusted his own headset.

Reno winked at her and then turned around to face the controls. He flipped a switch or two and the blades came to life. As they reached full speed, Reno pushed his left foot onto the left pedal and they were hovering just a few feet above the ground. Reno pushed a lever forward and pushed his right foot onto the right pedal. They began moving forward and higher and within a few seconds, the buildings were just below their feet.

Tifa had never experienced anything like this. The ride was loud and shaky and she looked out the window beside her nervously. It was weird not being higher in the sky. She turned to look at Rufus. He caught her eyes with his own. His lips moved, but she couldn't hear him over the din of the rotors. Leaning over to her, he placed one of his hands on the back of her seat for support and used the other to push a button on the side of her headset. His voice was suddenly inside her ear.

"You're used to the airship," he said.

She caught not only the irony in this simple statement, but also the sardonic glint in his eye. It was impossible for her to respond. She looked away. Feeling slightly victorious, Rufus leaned back over to his own seat. Neither of them spoke for the remainder of the trip.

* * *

Close to twenty minutes later, they landed just outside the church. Rufus opened the door and jumped out first. He turned around and waited for Tifa. "Watch your head," he warned her.

Just as she was about to jump out, she looked up and saw that the blades were still spinning dangerously, albeit slowly. She ducked her head and then jumped.

"Reno, do you mind staying with the helicopter?" Rufus asked as Reno walked around while lighting a cigarette.

"No problem-o. Don't need me anymore, remember?"

Rufus refrained from acknowledging the comment. He started walking towards the church with Tifa. He noticed she had a smile on her face.

"Something funny?"

Tifa looked at him. "Reno."

Rufus rolled his eyes. "I'm sure he appreciates it."

Rufus walked into the church first with Tifa following close behind. She was more apt to walk in slowly and take her time to admire the antique beauty, even if most of it was broken pews and half-shattered stained glass windows. She thought it gave it character. Rufus, on the other hand, seemed only focused on one thing -- the flowerbed. She watched as he walked at a quick gait towards it and stopped.

"Tifa..."

She turned her attention from one of the broken windows to her name, which sounded foreign coming from Rufus' mouth. He turned his head to look over his shoulder to see if she was paying attention.

"Does it normally do this?"

Tifa had to step closer and really focus her eyes in the direction of the flowerbed to see what he was talking about. It was sprinkling lightly just above the flowerbed, and the flowerbed only.

"I've seen it a few times. It's not often," Tifa finally answered. She was now standing right by Rufus' side as they both stared at the phenomenon.

"What is so special about this church? Besides the fact that it's a church."

Tifa turned, staring squarely at him. "Why do you find it so special?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't be here."

Tifa smiled. "The reason why the church is so unique is dependent on the individual. Anyone who visits here has their own reason or destiny."

Rufus turned his head towards her, a questioning look revealed upon his face. Her smile was pleasant but made him feel uneasy. No one smiled at him, except for Reeve or the Turks, but they didn't count.

"Do you think all of this is coincidence?" she asked.

He turned away from her and lifted his gaze upwards, staring through the hole in the roof to the sky. He shut his eyes and recalled the energy blasts from WEAPON careening towards him. He remembered the day it rained and he was cured of Geostigma. He remembered a particular conversation that followed days later.

_"Diamond WEAPON, Geostigma, Kadaj and his gang; if you don't mind me saying so, but I think you're invincible sir."_

_"No, Elena. Far from it. They've only proven that I am not."_

_"With respect sir, I'd like to disagree. I think they've proven something...or someone else is on your side."_

Rufus had thought she meant the Turks. Opening his eyes and concentrating on Tifa's question now, he realized she meant something more boundless, perhaps divine. The Turks never dealt in coincidences or destinies. They operated on detailed orders and unfailing loyalty, no questions asked. He looked at her, hesitant to answer; unable to comprehend what it might mean.

"No," he finally replied.

Tifa felt relieved. She didn't want to recount her dream of him, to him, to explain that this couldn't possibly be some strange series of chance occurences. As she began to wonder though, she became concerned by what it might be instead.

"You seem anxious," Rufus remarked, trying to conceal his own unease. Her smile had disappeared and her eyes looked distant and afraid. Resenting and questioning his action later, he placed a hand on her shoulder when she didn't respond. She jumped and immediately swatted it away, as if it had stung her. She looked downwards, staring at it now by his side. Then she looked at him, a very peculiar expression on her face. Was she sorry or embarassed? It seemed a mixture of both. She still said nothing.

"We'll go now," he said. He turned and began walking towards the door, not waiting for her to follow.


End file.
